jockstick

I've been bitten by the vintage bug. Found a 1985 Nishiki Riviera GT on CL in great shape for a great price. It's a bit of a drive so I'd like to know as much about it as possible before hand.

For past/present owners, I have two concerns/reservations.
1. I'd like to set it up with 700c x 35mm tires with full fenders (45mm). Will this fit in the frame/fork? It's a 53cm.
2. Is the rear dropout spacing 120mm? What's the front dropout spacing? To do the above, I imagine I'll have to find more modern wheels and cold set the frame. Doing this makes me a bit uncomfortable, especially if it needs to be done on the fork. Can anyone confirm the dropout spacing?

Thanks!

bikeaddiction1

I have cold set a number of steel frames to take newer, wider wheels. I have also straightened a number of steel bike frames. It is actually not that hard or risky. Go slow in small increments and align the frame afterwards with an alignment tool or sting. I believe Sheldon Brown gives decent instructions for this.

The vintage Nishikis I have worked on have had lots of tire clearance, but I have never seen a Riviera GT. Ask the seller for pictures at the tight clearance locations (especially at the from tend of the chain stays) and have him measure it or put a scale in the picture.

davester

I believe the '85 Riviera GT was a 5-speed so it is almost certainly 120 mm OLD. It's probably about the same geometry as my Cresta, so it's somewhat doubtful that 35 mm tires would fit between the chain stays. 32mm/27-1/4" would fit fine though. If I were you I'd probably leave it as 27" and 120mm. After all, you already have a triple chainring so you'll have plenty of gears. Going to 700C and 126mm won't get you a whole lot and involves a slight risk of breaking the brake bridge braze (can be minimized by clamping the stays at the bridge before cold set) plus the cost of getting the dropouts aligned after the cold set plus the cost of new wheels. You need to do this or risk breaking axles since the dropouts will become nonparallel if you just do the chain stay bending part of the cold set. Personally I would not try going from 120 to 130 because of the much higher risk of breaking things.

Also, it is possible that the cantilever brakes you have won't accommodate the wheel size difference from 27 to 700C, which would then cause additional headache/cost. Another possibility if you want to get a 6-speed cluster is to find an old Suntour Ultra-6 which will work with the 120mm OLD and result in a stronger wheel than a 126mm.

jockstick

Thanks for the input guys. I think I'll wait for something with bigger clearance to come along, and spare myself the hassle.

davester

Forgot to mention...there's no need to cold set the fork since the OLD for forks is the same through the years.

phtomita

https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/4...5-rebuilt.html

There are couple of Riviera GT threads in BK.
I have a Tri-A that was originally 126mm and I cold set to 130 to have modern drive train on it.
And Tri-A is 700c wheels. I tried to have a 28mm rear but it was rubbing the bridge of seat stays, so went back to 25mm.
On other bike, Centurion ProTour 15 that is 27", I have 700c 28mm now and plenty of room for wider tires if I want to go there.

T-Mar

I don't believe that I've actually seen a 1985 Nishiki Riviera GT. The ones that typically surface are 1986 models, though many have 1985 serial numbers due to being manufactured late in the calendar year.

The 1986 Riviera GT was spec'd with a 5 speed freewheel and 27" x 1-1/4" tyres. As such, it should be 120mm rear spacing and have clearance for at least 32mm tyres. If the OP is going 6/7 speed and 700C, the cold setting and smaller diameter will gain him some extra clearance, though not much, and new cantilevers with more pad height adjustment will be required. FWIW, in my process of collecting Nishiki serial numbers. I've seen Riveria GT with 700 x 38C tyres crammed in to the rear triangle but without fenders and wheel having to be positioned at the very back of the axle slot. In short, it doesn't promising for the OP's intentions. However, to be sure, I'd show up with the intended wheelset and tell the seller that the ability to fit the wheels with adequate fender clearance will make or break the deal. Wondering about deals that could have been will gnaw away at a lot of people. This way, the OP will know for sure.

jockstick

morri869 

I have a Riviera GT in the same size you're looking at I think. Does yours look like this one? I've got 700x28 mm paselas on it and there's plenty of clearance on the front for 35's I would think.
The rear may be close on the chainstays but I think it's worth bringing a wheel and trying the fit if you have one ready. For what it's worth, I have the rear wheel centered pretty well in the dropout with more room to slide it farther back.

And I've got the rear spread to fit a 135 mm touring hub. No cold set, just spread and go. It is holding up and running just fine

jockstick

Thanks for taking those pics, the bike in question looks just like it.

The seller lives quite far - he was willing to meet me half way, which is still a 2 hour drive one way for each of us. Based off the chain stay pic, I could probably squeeze in 35mm tires, but I highly doubt I could squeeze these fenders in the back: https://velo-orange.com/collections/...s-fenders-700c

Now I'm debating if I want to just return these fenders and tires. It's such a pretty bike.

TenGrainBread 

Factor in your gas cost for 4 hours of driving and then see if you're still interested. I think a nice bike will come along that fits your needs better but it's up to you.

morri869 

It is a pretty bike! But it's nothing more than a low/mid-level tourer, a perfect workhorse. I wouldn't have driven two hours to get mine but hey, only you know what you're looking for. Best of luck!

PumpedUpKicks

@jockstick, what did you end up doing? I'm in the same boat. Found a Rivera GT but wondering if 35mm 700c tires will fit

dweenk

I have a 1985(6) Riviera GT as well - tried a 700c wheel and the original brakes lacked the ability to adjust. If you need to go 700c, you'll need new brakes.

jockstick

Nope, found a Fuji Touring Series 4 instead. Plenty of clearance for 38's with fenders.